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Jeremy Hann

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If you are an Ontario employer who has implemented, or is considering implementing, temporary layoffs, wage reductions, or hours of work reductions, the Ontario Government’s recent changes will matter to you.

On May 29, 2020, the Ontario Government filed a new regulation changing the rules regarding employee eligibility for infectious disease emergency leave, temporary layoffs and constructive dismissals under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (the “ESA”), with retroactive effect.

Below is a summary of the most important aspects of this new regulation and why the changes will matter to your workplace and employees.

How Long Do These Changes Last?

The regulation applies retroactively, dealing primarily with the time period beginning March 1, 2020 and ending six weeks after the declared emergency ends. The Government has called this the “COVID-19 Period”. The Government recently extended the current declared emergency until June 30, meaning the regulation will be operative until at least August 11, 2020. A further extension to the declared emergency is possible, and this would automatically extend the life of the new regulation.Continue Reading Ontario Files New ESA Regulation Affecting COVID-19-Related Leaves, Temporary Layoffs & Constructive Dismissals

On April 25, 2020, the Ontario government announced that it is providing frontline staff with a temporary pandemic payment. The payment compensates frontline workers for dedication, long hours, and increased risk while working to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

What does the payment include?

Eligible workers will receive an increase of four dollars per hour worked…

This is an update to our recent blog post summarizing the measures the federal government has implemented to assist Canadian employers and employees. You can find the first part of our post here.

On March 24, 2020, Canada passed Bill C-13. It introduces and implements measures by the federal government to provide financial assistance to employers and employees across the country.
Continue Reading Federal Government’s Act (C-13) to Provide Financial Assistance to Employers and Employees

Today, after an official announcement that Canada and the United States have restricted all non-essential travel between the countries, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Finance Bill Morneau also announced a variety of measures intended to economically assist Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below is a summary of the employment-related measures that have been confirmed so far. This is a rapidly evolving situation and we anticipate further changes and clarifications in the coming days. We are monitoring the situation closely, and will continue to communicate updates as soon as they become available.
Continue Reading COVID-19 Update: Federal Government Restricts Border Crossings and Announces Measures to Assist Canadian Employers and Employees

One of the clearest messages from the #MeToo movement has been that sexual harassers need to be held accountable for their actions. This message has resonated with employers and most now appreciate that they need to promptly investigate and appropriately address misconduct once they become aware of it. But employer obligations extend beyond remedial action and include, in Ontario and other jurisdictions, implementing preventative policies and educating employees on the policies.

However, a new US research report indicates that policies aren’t enough and employers need to pay attention to certain warning signs in the workplace to effectively stem sexual harassment. The report’s authors contend that organizational climate is the greatest determinant of sexual harassment occurring in a workplace. In fact, corporate culture can either encourage or discourage an employee to harass, according to the authors.
Continue Reading Is Your Workplace Prone to Sexual Harassment? 5 Warning Signs to Watch For

Last month, key elements of Bill 132, Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act (Supporting Survivors and Challenging Sexual Violence and Harassment), 2016 (“Bill 132”), came into force. Employers are now required to have comprehensive policies and programs in place to address workplace harassment, along with detailed investigative procedures to be followed in response to complaints or incidents of harassment.

The latter requirement has led many employers to ask whether investigating is enough or if the employer can still be liable if the investigator gets it wrong.
Continue Reading You Want Me to Do What? Guidance for the Newly-Appointed Workplace Harassment Investigator

If you are a professional sports fan…you know what time of year it is. September 8th is the first day of the NFL season. In three weeks’ time the MLB playoffs will start. The world cup of hockey starts soon. The NHL season begins shortly thereafter. US College football season is already in full force.

If you are not… you might be asking so what? What does this have to do with employment law? What does this have to do with my workplace?
Continue Reading Happy September! What are the odds that your employees aren’t gambling at work?

Franchisors who place strict controls on their franchisees may also have to answer for their franchisee’s human rights practices.

Product and service consistency is the backbone of coffee giant Tim Hortons’ successful business model. Tim Hortons, like many other successful franchisors, imposes a strict regime on its stores in order to ensure that all Canadians can get the same cup of coffee, in the same cup, regardless of where they order it. Control manifests itself through an extensive franchise agreement, detailed operations rules and regular audits of individual stores.Continue Reading Is the price of a consistent cup of coffee shared human rights liability?

Our regular readers will recall our previous posts (here and here) on upcoming changes to the Employment Standards Act.  On February 20, 2015, some of these changes will be coming into effect:

  • There will no longer be a limit on the amount that can be ordered for unpaid wages due to an

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